TOPIC:

Just had a look back at the team for the stirring win we had against Claremont in the last round of the 2015 season. For such a short period there is quite a turnover from the team we had on the park today.

There were 12 players who appeared in the Claremont game and the match today. They are Elari, Dean, Faulkner, Rogers, Ames, Coniglio, Grescos, Riggio, Simpson, Howard, Notte and Jukes.

Players from the Claremont 2015 game who are injured are Kirkup, Blight, Blakely, Nuich and Cary

Players who have left the club since that game are Houghton, Davis, Broad and Nelson.

Rudy Riddoch played in the Claremont game and played reserves today.

As well as this, a number of 2015 fringe players who would have expected regular league games this year have either been injured or left the club. I'm thinking of guys like Levi Ridley , David Mckay and the Daniels brothers. Add to that Murray Newman and Aiden Anderson who would have also contributed significantly to the team at their best. At the very least the depth would have been much better with these guys on board.

What I am trying to say here is that Swans supporters may be being a bit harsh on Harding and the team as we just don't appear to have enough cattle at the moment to compete with most other WAFL teams. The guys we have lost have left a massive gap in the skills level which we haven't been able to replace, even though Clutterbuck and Jetta have added welcome experience.

This year is very much about blooding young players while the likes of Ames Riggio and Simmo are still around.

Mikeh I think all Swans' supporters understand that due to injuries and departures we are very much undermanned. However, how can one explain our unwillingness to try to go forward by kicking the ball up the ground (particularly in the first quarter) and one example of how bad is was as I mentioned previously where we have a player 48 metres out kicking the ball so far back and so poorly that the kick goes through for a behind for West Perth?

Also, it seems that players like Elari and Rogers are completely devoid of any confidence. Hopefully, with their record for us against Perth they will re-discover their confidence.

swan42 wrote: Mikeh I think all Swans' supporters understand that due to injuries and departures we are very much undermanned. However, how can one explain our unwillingness to try to go forward by kicking the ball up the ground (particularly in the first quarter) and one example of how bad is was as I mentioned previously where we have a player 48 metres out kicking the ball so far back and so poorly that the kick goes through for a behind for West Perth?

Also, it seems that players like Elari and Rogers are completely devoid of any confidence. Hopefully, with their record for us against Perth they will re-discover their confidence.

Yes I think you answered your own question Swan42. A lack of confidence tends to spread like a disease through a team. It also muddles up their decision making process. Ironically, the only guy who looked like he wanted to take the game on was the young debutant.

Dirty Weekender wrote:

BC wrote: its a cultural thing...when the club in the past has allowed a mob of idiots to call themselves the abuse crew who then as the name suggests abuse and denigrate anyone who doesn't support your mob including opposition supporters, players and umpires then that's what you get. SD supporters are generally the worst in league imo closely followed by the feral eagles. when SD plays EP at Bogandean, the MacDonald stand must look like Pentridge exercise yard from the 1970's.

l

BC...the abuse crew use the term abuse in place of blatant swearing after the club insisted the language got cleaned up or they'd have to go...those blokes whilst feral at least show some decency and refrain from using terms such as effen maggot c...ts relentlessly like the mob in the Macca stand today. Embarrassed for my club today...no excuse in front of kids to vent in this manner

Was it one of the "abuse crew" that exposed himself to a female in the Swan Districts members area a few years ago? I vaguely remember the incident being discussed ether here or on FootyGoss.

You can see how Yukich is progressing. One of the reasons that he is doing so in my opinion is that he knows that if he makes some mistakes he is not going to be the first dropped. It is interesting that comments have been made about Burnham and Coniglio; yet the same comments have not been made re Faulkner and one can't criticise Faulkner's endeavours to get the ball. I personally don't think it helps a younger player that they are the first on the chopping block when a number of our more senior players are also making horrific decisions firstly and their disposal is errant as well.

It will be a long hard slog this year but there have been some positives as you pointed out re Logue and Jackson. Perseverance and tolerance are two things that we will need to have an abundance of for the rest of the year.

Dirty Weekender wrote:

BC wrote: its a cultural thing...when the club in the past has allowed a mob of idiots to call themselves the abuse crew who then as the name suggests abuse and denigrate anyone who doesn't support your mob including opposition supporters, players and umpires then that's what you get. SD supporters are generally the worst in league imo closely followed by the feral eagles. when SD plays EP at Bogandean, the MacDonald stand must look like Pentridge exercise yard from the 1970's.

l

BC...the abuse crew use the term abuse in place of blatant swearing after the club insisted the language got cleaned up or they'd have to go...those blokes whilst feral at least show some decency and refrain from using terms such as effen maggot c...ts relentlessly like the mob in the Macca stand today. Embarrassed for my club today...no excuse in front of kids to vent in this manner

which is why I say it's a cultural thing DW...but at least you acknowledge the problem.

BC wrote:

Dirty Weekender wrote:

BC wrote: its a cultural thing...when the club in the past has allowed a mob of idiots to call themselves the abuse crew who then as the name suggests abuse and denigrate anyone who doesn't support your mob including opposition supporters, players and umpires then that's what you get. SD supporters are generally the worst in league imo closely followed by the feral eagles. when SD plays EP at Bogandean, the MacDonald stand must look like Pentridge exercise yard from the 1970's.

l

BC...the abuse crew use the term abuse in place of blatant swearing after the club insisted the language got cleaned up or they'd have to go...those blokes whilst feral at least show some decency and refrain from using terms such as effen maggot c...ts relentlessly like the mob in the Macca stand today. Embarrassed for my club today...no excuse in front of kids to vent in this manner

which is why I say it's a cultural thing DW...but at least you acknowledge the problem.

I was wandering around the ground a fair bit in the sunshine today and I noticed there were a few security guys who were standing near the boundary line. I wonder if it would be in their job description to eject anyone who is acting in an anti social manner like swearing in an area near children?

In 36 years of watching SD vs WP games that is the first time I have never heard the West Perth West Perth chant coming from the stands?
Come to think of it I haven't heard Swans Forever too much if at all this year either coming from the McDonald Stand.
This is on top of the East Perth chant long gone after the 2nd instalment of host club rubbish.
I have to also say the standard of footy produced this year has been at times appalling mostly by my side I admit but I'm not sure we can continue to charge $15 to watch some very ordinary skills on display.

Mad Dog wrote: I think the passage of play late in the 3rd quarter in front of the members summed up our current situation. Clutterbuck was outnumbered 4 to 1 and somehow managed to get a stoppage. At the ball up he was still there on his own and had to go for the ruck tap and hence WP ran away with the ball with little pressure.

For me that was worse than any missed handball,dropped mark or shank. The lack of want to get over and help your team mate was disgusting. And numerous times today we were outnumbered at the contest and not just by 1. Not sure if it's because of the way we are setting up or the opposing teams pressing up against us but it was weak.

Also,I don't think I've watched a team consistently where they have been this badly beaten in time in Foward half %. No joke it must be 15%-85% so far at Bassendean.

Just to reinforce your point in Swans first 6 games the opposition has taken the ball into their forward 50 a total of 334 times to Swans 206. That's a massive differential for such a low number of games. As you said I think that the time spent in the forward half is even more lopsided. Very hard to win games with stats like that

Theouterseagull wrote:

Dirty Weekender wrote:

BC wrote: its a cultural thing...when the club in the past has allowed a mob of idiots to call themselves the abuse crew who then as the name suggests abuse and denigrate anyone who doesn't support your mob including opposition supporters, players and umpires then that's what you get. SD supporters are generally the worst in league imo closely followed by the feral eagles. when SD plays EP at Bogandean, the MacDonald stand must look like Pentridge exercise yard from the 1970's.

l

BC...the abuse crew use the term abuse in place of blatant swearing after the club insisted the language got cleaned up or they'd have to go...those blokes whilst feral at least show some decency and refrain from using terms such as effen maggot c...ts relentlessly like the mob in the Macca stand today. Embarrassed for my club today...no excuse in front of kids to vent in this manner

Was it one of the "abuse crew" that exposed himself to a female in the Swan Districts members area a few years ago? I vaguely remember the incident being discussed ether here or on FootyGoss.

First time I've heard that one TOS but if true I hope the culprit was ejected for life and that it became a police matter. The irony of the poor antics of some of our supporters today is that they expect the umpires to maintain perfect standards yet revel in their own poor standards of decency. We all occasionally have a blip or 2 when it comes to umpiring but when the abuse is relentless and personal over an entire afternoon's footy one has to question the motives of these sad individuals.